Fall 2021 Session 1 -- What is YOURPace?

[jadkins77]

I’m about to submit my third milestone for Creative Writing and the professor is super. Fun class! I’m also taking PJC180 and it is making me rethink my English major. ? Has anyone taken that class? Seems pretty impossible to get passed through milestones.

I took PCJ 180 last session. It was my second class, taken along with a science class. Personally, I find PCJ extremely difficult. I ended up withdrawing because I wouldn't be able to finish it in time and picked it back up this term. If you withdraw from a class, you pick it up where you left off when you re-enroll. Last session I got through the first two milestones, and the first of three film critiques before withdrawing. It would take multiple days and drafts for something to be approved before I could move on. I had submitted the first two milestones (aka the first 4 articles) at the same time and was told by the professor not to do that, which I think seriously slowed me down. I also question my choice of major because of this class.

I am on my fourth revised draft (some complete rewrites) for milestone 1 and 2 (as you noted, four articles) and the feedback is so vague. Know your audience, jo/joe schmo, two sources in each, you don’t need sources in each, at least two quotes, please remove quotes. I made the decision this weekend to withdraw even though I have also written two of the film critique pieces. 

I see this professor teaches six of my remaining classes. I am meeting with Jessica to talk about a program switch even though I have been in communications for more than 15 years and thought these classes would be my easy ones. If you haven’t taken Creative Writing yet, it’s been a day and night difference. I wish you the best of luck! Keep me updated if you make it through…or switch!

It's actually comforting to know that I'm not alone in my frustrations with the class. The reading level is the most difficult part for me. A fourth to sixth-grade reading level is what I was told to aim for, but quotes and the subject matter raise the level. Whenever I ask for clarification on feedback, it feels like the same regurgitated comments that I'm getting on everything, and after my fourth or fifth drafts, she goes ahead and edits the whole thing anyway. It can also take her a few days to read my submissions, so I feel I have a lot of idle time waiting to submit things. It makes me worry that I won't pass regardless of what I do.

I'd love to know how your meeting with Jessica goes because I am seriously considering having one as well. I'm enrolled in Creative Writing next session, but I'm about to complete French 101 this week. If I can get a little further in PCJ, I'm going to try to go ahead and take it.

After much thought and sketching things out, I made the decision to switch to BLS Educational Studies and likely the Management minor as well. That's the new goal at least! I'll be happy with just the ES minor, but seeing you have to take eight upper level classes anyway, it only takes two extra lower level classes to get both minors! I'm wrapping up my remaining two Gen Eds this week and will start with the required minor classes next week! Let me know what questions you have!